Performance reviews can sometimes go awry, leaving you feeling confused and demotivated. Unravel the complexities of such situations and discover strategies to turn them around, ensuring your professional growth remains unhampered.
Summary
Criticism we receive about our performance can impact our self-esteem, both in and outside of the office. Recovering from the mental trauma of a negative review can waste a lot of your valuable time.
- Use the SAFE (Stop-Acknowledge-Feel-Engage) technique to remind yourself of your worth and manage your mental and emotional health.
Feel
Need some space to vent and get out your choked feelings. Find a safe place, preferably outside of the office, to do this.
- Remember that you are not in this alone. To minimize “all or nothing” thinking, ask a trusted circle of friends or peers to hear you out. During these chats, focus on understanding what it is about the feedback that really upset you.
Engage
Seek out candid feedback from people you trust to identify blindspots
- Compare the feedback you receive to what your boss said
- Demonstrate openness by acknowledging where you agree with your boss and how you plan to work on the feedback given to you
- Provide concrete data to support your case
Stop
When someone criticizes our work or makes us question our sense of self, we perceive it as a threat, and this triggers our flight-or-fight response
- To manage your response upon receiving negative feedback, the first thing you need to do is stop.
- Defending yourself or giving a counter argument will not lead to your boss changing their mind
- Create a “circuit breaker” – regulate your emotions and lower your stress level
Acknowledge
As your boss talks, notice whether you are actually listening or just thinking about your rebuttal. If it is the latter, stop and acknowledge their point of view before sharing your own.
- Paraphrase what your boss says back to them in the form of a question
- Avoid questions that start with “why”
- Be aware of your tone and accent
